2 jurisdictions · One-Year PI deadline

States with a 1-Year Personal Injury Statute of Limitations

Kentucky and Tennessee are the 2 jurisdictions where a personal injury lawsuit must generally be filed within 1 year of the date of injury. Every row cites the controlling state code or court decision.

Updated 2026-05-22 · See all 50 states

Key facts

Personal injury deadline: 1 year
Jurisdictions in this group: 2
States: Kentucky and Tennessee
When the clock starts: Generally the date of injury. Most states apply a discovery rule that delays the start when the injury was not, or could not reasonably have been, discovered at the time it occurred.
Last verified: 2026-05-22 (each state row cites the primary source)

A one-year deadline is unusually short and traps unrepresented claimants who assume they have more time. Kentucky carves out a longer two-year deadline for motor vehicle accident claims under the no-fault statute, but the default for any other personal injury is still one year. Tennessee extends the deadline to two years when criminal charges are filed against the defendant from the same incident.

The 2 1-year jurisdictions

State	Wrongful death	Statute	Details
Kentucky	1 year	Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140	Details →
Tennessee	1 year	Tenn. Code § 28-3-104	Details →

Informational only and not legal advice. Notice deadlines for medical malpractice, claims against government entities, and intentional torts run on separate tracks and can be much shorter. Confirm the controlling rule with a licensed attorney.

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One-Year Statute of Limitations FAQ

Which states have a 1-year personal injury statute of limitations?

2 US jurisdictions use a 1-year general personal injury filing deadline: Kentucky and Tennessee. Each state's deadline is set by its own legislature, and each row below cites the controlling statute or court decision.

How does a 1-year deadline compare to other states?

Personal injury deadlines in the U.S. run from one year (Kentucky and Tennessee) to six years (Maine, Minnesota, North Dakota). A 1-year deadline is among the shortest in the country.

Does the 1-year deadline also apply to wrongful death claims?

Not always. Wrongful death deadlines often differ from the general personal injury deadline within the same state, and they typically run from the date of death rather than the date of injury. The table below shows the wrongful death deadline for each state when it differs.